Hacker101
by God Of Ka
Summary: We all know that Kingsisle is taxing Wizard101 players to go into zones that cost Crowns. With each world having even more expensive amounts of Crowns. But now there are new wizards out there trying to hack their way through the Spiral. But it's now all up to a wizard full of potential: Duncan Glitchcity!
1. Prologue

?

In a dark cave with green electricity running along the walls, there are seven mages wearing a green number 32 labeled green cloaks with a crystal ball and rune tablet each in front of them. An eighth one comes from behind the seventh one.

"How is the subject going Hacker7?" the cloaked one asks him.

"Work in progress, Hacker8", Hacker7 says. "We still need to find out what main school he should be in and his first name. We already have the last name as Glitchcity."

"Since no one in The Spiral likes us", says a cloaked man to Hacker7's right. "We should make him a Necromancer."

"Great idea Hacker6", Hacker8 says to him.

"I will just program Necromancer into his School", Hacker6 says as he programs it in. "All we need now is a first name..."

"I, the mighty Hacker5", the other cloaked man next to Hacker6 says with pride. "Have already compiled a list of names of all Necromancers known. We have Malestaire Drake, Penny Dreadful, Marla Stinger, Duncan Grimwater, Malorn Ashthorn and Dwargyn. Hacker4, do you think Penny Dreadful is not suitable for our male wizard?"

"I do agree", the cloaked man Hacker5 referred to says. "I would also say not Marla Stinger either, right Hacker3?"

"Yes", says the other cloaked man next to Hacker4.

"So no feminine names", Hacker8 says. "Would anyone agree with not doing Malestaire and Dwargyn?"

"We three agree", says the three cloaked ones between Hacker7 and Hacker4.

"Hacker1, Hacker2 and Hacker3 agree with that", Hacker8 comments. "So that leaves us with just Duncan and Malorn."

"Wait", Hacker5 starts saying. "How about we do a vote-"

"And why do you say that?" Hacker8 asks Hacker5.

"I can just tell we all would get into an argument at the end of the day", Hacker5 defends his argument. "If we don't vote."

"Alright, we'll vote", Hacker8 respects Hacker5's defense and turns to them all equally. "Here are the rules: All of you have to input the two names we have currently would agree on in your rune tablets. Only reveal them when I say so. I'll not be voting via to prevent a tie between the two names. With that said, type your answers!"

And with that, everyone started making decisions individually. Hacker8 took a peek at everyone to see if they all have typed their answers. Since he's seen them all typed answers, Hacker8 said the voting is done and told them to reveal their answers via hologram.

"They will think it's just coincidence", Hacker1 jokes. "They will never suspect us Hackers created this wizard to distort Kingsisle's plot to drain The Spiral's greatest wealth, Crowns, to throw it into a great depression."

"But could we see the outcome of our wizard?" both Hacker2 and Hacker3 say in unison.

"So let it be written", Hacker8 proclaims. "So let it be done!"

And with a few more keystrokes from the 7 Hackers sitting down; a human boy is being constructed from 1's and 0's. The boy has light skin, a black 17th century outfit with a green trim and blood red ascot, neon green eyes, a Robin Hood hat with a phoenix feather and Neon green hiking boots with a blood-red trim.

But all of a sudden, his left hand starts shooting green and red mixed lightning while growing what looks to be a cybernetic archfiend hand. Hacker8 looks at his hand and is surprised.

"Why does his left hand look like ours?!" he yells in question. "He's supposed to look like all the other wizards in Wizard City, not like us!"

"We are sorry sir", Hacker7 and Hacker1 say in unison.

"The prisoner struggled in becoming a blank slate", Hacker7 explains. "In order for him to not struggle..."

"I had to attack him with a G.I.F. Slash", Hacker1 explains further. "Which actually broke some of my fingers."

"So that's why you are only using your left hand to code him", Hacker8 realizes as he pulls Hacker1's right hand from under the table to reveal his wound. "You should have cleansed him of our magic and healed your wound before proceeding with the Codexation!"

"You said we had a time limit..." Hacker7 says.

"But Hackers have to be careful around The Spiral now a days!" Hacker8 yells at Hacker7. "So the corporation controlling the Tree, Spider and Raven don't catch us with an obvious mess-up like this!"

"We were supposed to send Duncan as soon as THE Wizard went to defeat the Spider", Hacker6 says in agreement to Hacker7.

Hacker8 lets go of Hacker1's hand and takes a deep breath and collects his emotions.

 _I did say that was the deadline as soon as we found out THE Wizard was going to Journey to defeat Spider. And they did their job so well until..._ , then he looks up at Duncan Glitchcity. _Sunblade here started to resist the Hacking Ceremony..._

"Just cover that hand with human skin and human nail", Hacker8 says in defeat. "When he goes into combat, it would probably become what it is now; making it his wand. Then send him unconscious in Merle Ambrose's Observatory."

"Yes Sir!" all the other 7 Hackers say in unison. With a few keystrokes and a few chants of mystic words, Duncan Glitchcity is sent flying into the 8-bit portal that is designated to Merle's Observatory.

 _I hope our plans work perfectly_ , Hacker8 thinks to himself as he stares up at the recreated Wizard. _If it doesn't, Kingsisle will bring all of Spiral into economic depression._

Hacker101

Player: Duncan Glitchcity - Novice Necromancer

WIZARD CITY

"This is really unfortunate", Merle Ambrose says as he views the letter sent by The Wizard. "It seems Old Cobb took Mellori for a reason the Young Wizard doesn't know about. I wonder how he is doing..."

"Ambrooooooose!" A voice of an Owl calls out from the observatory. "A Wizard exploded from the Spiral Crystal!"

"I'll be there right now", Merle Ambrose says as he teleports from his office. When he get to this observatory, he saw an owl next to the unconscious Duncan Glitchcity face-down on the floor with the observatory crystal shattered into thousands of pieces.

"Gama", Merle Ambrose says to the Owl. "Did the crystal shatter as the wizard came from it?!"

"Yes Headmaster", Gama answers. "But I would be worried about the Wizard than the Crystal. I will prepare an order for another Observatory Crystal from the Arcanum."

"You go and do that", Merle says as Gama flies to the crystal ball on the pedestal and contacts the Arcanum. Merle turns to the Wizard face-down on the floor. "Oh dear, I need to contact Ceran Nightchant to help with this. But I will also need to contact a death student to find out how much life he has left."

"Ugh", the wizard says as he tries to get up but falls after the struggle.

"Don't use your last bit of strength wizard", Ambrose cautions. "We need to get you to a bet somewhere and examine you."

"I... Don't... Need... HELP!" the wizard says as he charges in a dark green aura along with exploding in the air and standing on his own two feet. Ambrose was sent back and Gama finished his call and flew over to Ambrose's side.

"I am Duncan Glitchcity", the wizard says as he is fully healed up, but he noticed Ambrose on his back, turns to his glowing left hand as it returns to normal, and turns back to Ambrose. "Are you hurt?"

"Let's hope not", Gama says as he looks at Ambrose and not Duncan. "Are you OK Ambrose?"

"This will help me a bit", Ambrose says as he takes out a glass flask with purple liquid, takes off the cork top and drinks the whole thing. He gets back up feeling fully energized. "I'm fine now Gama. Now, did you say your name was Duncan Glitchcity?"

"Yes", Duncan answers.

"At least my memory is not getting worse now, heh?" Ambrose says with a good mood. "We need to go to Golem court to fully introduce you to Wizard City."

"I will meet you two there", Gama says to the both of us. "I still need to fill out the order report for the new Observation Crystal."

"We will meet you there then Gama", Ambrose says to him as he turns to Duncan. "Now, will you follow me to Golem Court? When Mr. Lincoln sees us coming in, he will have everyone else leave."

WIZARD CITY, GOLEM COURT

With only me, Duncan Glitchcity, Gama the Owl and Headmaster Merle Ambrose, we can now begin my introduction to Wizard City.

"As you already know, my name is Merle Ambrose. I am the headmaster of the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. We're expecting great things from you. But first things first", Merle says as he turns to Gama. "My owl friend would like to speak with you. Walk up to Gama and follow his directions."

So I did as I was told and walked up to Gama.

"Hellooo!" Gama introduces. "My name is Gamma the Owl, and I am quite pleased to meet yooou! Wizards test their skills by summoning fantastic creatures and dueling! To become a Master Wizard, you must learn every spell in your class! Wizards love to duel! The more spells you learn, the better a duelist you will become."

Then all of a sudden, the ground starts to shake. A thunderstorm of green lightning sparks in the sky. What's worse is that something broke into the tower. What we saw was the shadow of a hooded figure in the window going across it.

"Whoooo?!" Gamma exclaims as he we saw the figure.

"Why am I getting a since of déjà vu right now!?" Ambrose says as he recalls what this feeling he is having again. "Duncan Glitchcity, we best see what trouble is happening in there AGAIN! Meet me in the tower!"

"Yooou'd best follow the headmaster", Gamma demands. "Yooou're safe with him! To the Tower!"

I enter the tower and climb it to the top floor. And what I saw when I got to the top was Ambrose and a hooded figure with a face that looked like a dragon's with a Gold Crown emblem on the front of the cloak.

"Who's there...?" Ambrose asked, but then realized who it was. "Draco!"

"Ambrose?!" Draco says with a mocking shock. "What's with the attitude?"

"Why have you invaded the tower?" Ambrose asks. "And like Malestaire no less!"

"I came here to find The Wizard", Draco explains. "He is 163,555 Crowns in debt due to using the Crowns Credit Card you gave him to journey through all the other worlds; including extensions of your own city no less. I am not allowed to punish you directly, but I can punish your newest Student over there. My BOTS will make sure he can't go further in the other worlds after their done with him!"

"Hurry along, Duncan Glitchcity!" Ambrose says to me. "Take this deck of spell cards and deal with those machines while I tend to Draco himself!"

"You can't hurt me, old man", Draco says. "You signed a contract that makes it so that YOU cannot harm Kingsislers."

"Run up and confront them!" Ambrose says to me. "Be brave! I will guide you!"

The BOTS looked like first stage Mettaton but with green screens, satellite plates as wings, robot bird legs and are floating in the air.

As I run up to them, my left hand began to distort since I exploded in front of Ambrose back at his Observatory. Draco looked shock to seeing what is happening to my already weird looking left hand. Just then, the battle began between me and the two BOTS. The BOTS had 480 red auras and 1 glowing dot surrounding them each, while I had 450 red auras, 15 blue auras and 1 glowing dot surrounding me. What cards I got from my deck were ones of a "Fire Cat" and a "Troll".

"Those are the cards you've drawn", Ambrose explains. "Quickly! You must choose a spell and use it to attack one of Draco's BOTS by casting it on them."

With being in a rush, I gripped the "Troll" card, with my left hand, without reading how much damage it would do and chose the BOT to my right. But I wasn't fast enough, so the BOT to my left went first. The BOT's screen glowed in a spectrum of colors to make snowflake looking symbol. What came from it was beetle of solid ice, which came charging at me; dealing 50 damage to me. The glowing dot the BOT had also vanished after the spell was casted. Then the BOT to my left did the same thing, but an old fashioned scale symbol appeared instead. What appeared from that was a giant red-orange Scorpion which sprayed and acid at me, from which I took 50 damage also. He too lost a glowing dot after casting. I was finally able to cast my "Troll" spell. But I felt a strange aura coming from my left hand: I gripped it and lashed out a strike with the claws swinging diagonal from my top left to my bottom right. And what appeared was a triangle with an eye in it like symbol. What appeared from it was a green troll wearing a brown cloth and holding a club with stone spikes, just like what the card picture showed. When it attacked the one I meant it to attack, is swung its club in a tornado fashion, dealt 120 damage to it and vanished in a pile of golden dust. Leaving me with no more glowing dot. I had 330 red auras and 14 blue auras remaining after that assault.

"Oh my! You're hurt!" Merle exclaimed. "You'll need to pay attention to your Health, which is the red aura to your left. If that entire aura disappears in a Wizard duel, you'll be defeated and won't be able to battle again for a while. The Blue Aura to your right is your Mana. Mana is magical energy, which gives you the power to cast spells. When you run out of Mana, you won't be able to cast more spells."

As he says all this, I noticed that all of us have our glowing dots back.

"When you're out of Mana, you'll be at the mercy...", Merle exaggerates on.

"Headmaster", I say to him. "There is no time for lessons, we are under attack!"

"Wait, what?!" Ambrose realizes. "We're under attack? Oh my! Call me a fool... I had all but forgotten!"

"This is just like when the Young Wizard was being attacked by Malestaire's Draconians", Abrose continues. "Attack his BOTS again!"

I nod back at him as I grip the "Fire Cat" Card in my left hand preparing to cast it, targeting the BOT to my left this time. The left BOT casted a Scorpion, just like the one to my right did last round. It dealt me 90 Damage this time with the same kind of attack. The right BOT casted a spell that had a symbol of a human skull when being viewed on its left side. What appeared was pirate skeleton, who slashed me in the chest; dealing me 105 damage. When it came to my turn, I did the same thing I did while casting the "Troll" Spell. But now the symbol was of a single flame. What appeared was a giant tiger made of fire; the same image as on the card. It pounced on the BOT to my left and dealt 105 damage to it. After that assault, I had 135 HP and 13 Mana remaining, but I felt really hurt my then.

"Are you getting to old to teach?" Draco mockingly asks Ambrose. "'Cause it looks like you aren't teaching him how to heal during battle."

"No I'm not, I taught The Wizard how to heal during battle when facing Draconians, and I can certainly teach Duncan Glitchcity how to heal during battle as well!" Ambrose yells as he turns to me. "Quickly, use the Unicorn spell and cast it on yourself. It will heal your wounds."

I saw the Unicorn Spell and gripped it as soon as possible. My reaction was so fast that the BOTS weren't able going before me. I did my usual spell casting stance, but what appeared was a leaf symbol. What appeared was a unicorn which bowed to me and gave me a healing aura that mended all of my wounds like how the purple potion healed Ambrose when I exploded at him. Leaving me with 450/Full HP and 12 Mana.

"Dumb machines!" Draco scolded. "You've let the brat heal! Take him out or you'll be turned into scrap iron for it! Use your spells to weaken Duncan's spells!"

"Duncan, take some more Pips", Ambrose calls out as he casts two more glowing dots to me. "They power your spells. The more Pips you have, the stronger the spells you can cast!"

Just as he said that, a card that says "Nature's Wrath" appeared in my hand.

"Quickly, now!" Merle demands. "Pick another spell and cast it at one of them before they use their spells to weaken yours!"

Just like that, I gripped the "Nature's Wrath". But I was too late; the BOT to my right casted another scale spell, but this one made a circle shield with spikes on its edge and a sword on its face appear above my head.

"Oh my, just as I feared", Ambrose said as I casted the leaf spell. "That spell weakened your spell, so it will do less damage to your target."

The target I chose was the left BOT. So the right BOT seemed to want to weaken my spell so neither of them would take damage. And it happened the Humanoid tree, which was on the card picture, was stricken with the charm and did less damage to the left BOT, exactly 225 damage. Which left me at 9 MANA

"Finally, you dumb BOTS do something right for a change!" Draco congratulates them. "Now finish the child!"

"Cast this Balance Blade spell on yourself", Ambrose tells me as the card appeared in my hand. "It will give your next spell more power!"

I did as he told me and gripped the card in my hand. But I wasn't fast enough against the left BOT. I casted a flame spell, which conjured up a Phoenix and blasted me with fire that dealt 85 damage to me. The right BOT was next, casting a leaf spell. What appeared was an armored centaur. It shot an arrow at me which grew a tree into me, which exploded and what was left struck me with such great power that gave me 105 damage. When I finally casted the balance blade, I was at 260 HP and 9 MANA.

"You learned just as fast as The Wizard", Ambrose praises.

"I've got it!" Ambrose says as I draw the Meteor Strike card. "Use the Meteor Strike Spell! It will strike both BOTS! Here are some Pips to cast it with!"

I gripped the card as thanks, hoping the Balance Blade will increase not just "balance spells". After the Bots dealt me damage to get me to 50 HP, I casted the Meteor Strike flame spell. A fiery portal appeared in response. The Balance blade charm shattered and the pieces went into the portal.

 _I hope the charm worked._

And so it did. One meteor struck at a BOT each, making them explode into tons of bolts and screws.

"Excellent job, Duncan Glitchcity!" He congratulates me on my victory. "Now let me see to Draco... I'll show him... threatening a new student before orientation, no less! I bet THAT isn't a part of your signed agreement!"

"It's true I wasn't allowed to harm him", Draco admits. "But you can't harm me for doing that. Besides, my JOB failed to meet its quota. So I had some spare time and decided to try to ruin another student's Orientation like Malestaire did with The Wizard which still owes us Crowns!"

"Now, I will be taking my leave of this run down city of yours", Draco says as he dissolves in green and black pixels. "You should probably renovate this City to what Marlybone is..."

"He's finally gone, and not a moment too soon!" Ambrose says in relief. "Why does Kingsisle always want to tax people for going outside of their world of origin? Hmm..."

"Oh my!" Ambrose realizing I am still a bit hurt, along with my left hand returning to its non-magic form. "You look a bit worn down. Here, let me give you one of my potion flasks. It will restore you to your full HP and MANA."

"On the bright side, congratulations!" Merle congratulates me as I drink the potion flask. "Defeating Draco's BOTS has earned you some experience."

"You will feel you have gained some Experience as a green aura surrounding you", Merle Ambrose Continues. "When you get a glow that starts to swirl around you as a you-sized tornado, you will gain a higher rank and be able to learn new spells. Now, do you have any questions, Duncan Glitchcity?"

"Do you know why I have a monstrous hand?" I ask him as I hold up my left hand to him.

"That is a good question", Merle ponders but realizes something. "But that hand of yours does have the power to cast spells, I can sense it aura during the battle. Maybe it has the potential to cast its own magic powers. Your hand will now be your wand. So you don't need to use a wand then, but you can still have this Reaper's Rod if you want. But every Wizard MUST have a Spell book. Here you go. No young Wizard should ever be without it."

Ambrose then gives me a Spell book and the Reaper's Rod, which looks like a unicorn's horn attached to a sword handle. I put the Wand and Spell book in my pockets.

"I should say, Duncan Glitchcity", Ambrose says. "You have quite the potential and the courage. There is little doubt but that you have a greater power than I could ever imagine inside you. Who knows? Maybe you could rival The Wizard who is currently in Mirage right now. But now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mountain of duties to attend to right now, including readying your enrollment. So if you don't mind waiting for a moment or two, I'll pop back to my office and straighten up. I'll summon you when things are presentable. So many books and papers to tidy up... where did I put those forms... See you soon!"

Merle Ambrose then teleports in a cloud of moons and stars.


	2. Quest 1: Impressing Merle

Hacker101

Player: Duncan Glitchcity - Novice Necromancer

WIZARD CITY, GOLEM TOWER

When Ambrose left the Tower, I have 33 experience auras with 12 experience aura left to Level 2. I was also curious to see what was in my deck, which was the Starter Deck. The deck gave me up to fourteen spells, that are not attached to items, I can use, but I can only use up to three of them. I can also use 16 item spells in this deck too.

I currently have three Dark Sprites, a Rank One Offensive Death School Spell with 85% Accuracy that deals damage from between 65 to 105 Death Damage, and three G.I.F. Slashes, a Rank Zero Offensive "32" School Spell with 100% Accuracy that deals just 100 "32" Damage?

"Are the G.I.F. Slashes related to my left hand?" I ask out loud in response to seeing those cards while remembering what Ambrose said about his left hand.

But just after I put the deck away, a green pixilated portal appears in front of the door of the stairs down to the base of the tower. A black cloaked humanoid figure with the same green "32" symbol on the front of the cloak. He was also wearing a red four eyed black mask with his hood covering the rest of his head. Then I noticed his hand, his hand looked monstrous, yet it looked familiar… I looked at my hand and noticed they both had the same shape, but they were different in color. Mine had human colors, while this figure had more metallic hands.

"Why do you have a strange hand like mine?" I ask the strange figure.

"That is not important", the strange figure says. "My name is Professor Gigabyte Vanvabyte, Professor of Hack Magic. I will be your Secondary Professor for level-up Spells when the time comes. But I will give you Quests for where you will be tested to obtain special spells. But that's enough with me talking, I will be seeing you soon, I promise…"

But when I try to talk to him, he turns away and enters the portal. I try to go after him but the portal closes just before I get one foot way from the portal. But I see a card floating in the air in its place; it looked like a card, a dark green card with what looked like a beetle as its picture.

The card was called Crash Bug, a Rank One Offensive Hack School Spell with 90% Accuracy that deals damage from between 105 to 145 Hack Damage. How I came up with the Hack School conclusion is because the Professor from the portal called himself a "Professor of Hack Magic". So that must make the three spells with the "32" as the School symbol and damage type in the card description.

WIZARD CITY, COMMONS, HEADMASTER AMBROSE'S OFFICE

But when I try to put the card in my deck, I suddenly appear at the corner of an office. Headmaster Ambrose is waiting at a desk. He seems to be waiting for me so I put my deck and the card back in my spell book and walked up to him.

"Sorry for what happened in Golem Court", Merle Ambrose apologizes. "The same kind of thing happened when The Wizard was welcomed to the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. But instead of a Kingsisler coming, it was an old colleague of mine, Malestaire Drake, a Death Professor who passed away trying to bring his wife, Sylvia Drake, back alive with the power of the Titan of Fire Magic, the Dragon. Cyrus was sad when Malestaire left Ravenwood and Wizard City. At the same time, the Death School was separated from Ravenwood to who knows where… But never mind that. Before you are enrolled into Ravenwood, I would like you to get started on checking on things in Wizard City."

"Why can't The Wizard check up on things in Wizard City once in a while?" I ask him. "Why should I?"

"Sorry to put this job on you and not on any other Wizard", Merle Ambrose explains. "The Wizard is part of the Arcanum and I don't trust the other wizards to make sure no other problems are developing here. But when you came, you had a strange potential that was similar to The Wizard. So I trust you with this assignment."

"Are you telling me I should start this quest without having the knowledge and abilities to defend myself against the monsters out there?" I ask him.

"Don't worry Duncan Glitchcity", Merle reassures. "This part of your quest will be a test to see if you can handle the rest of your Quest. Just go to Unicorn Way and check on things. After your Journey, we will get you enrolled into Ravenwood."

Merle Ambrose starts to rummage through his paper mumbling to himself about where he put "that letter to give to Private Connelly". Then he picks up a letter with a wax seal, placed where the envelope would open and close, gets up from his desk and comes up to me.

"If you show this letter to Private Stillson", Merle Ambrose says as he hands the letter to me. "He will allow you to go into Unicorn Way to see how things are doing according to Private Connelly. If anything is going on that is causing distress… do your best to solve them without my help. Remember, this is a test to see if you are up for the challenge to continue checking on Wizard City. Do you accept this quest?"

"Yes I do", I answer as I take the letter with the wax seal.

 **QUEST: CHECKING UP ON UNICORN WAY**

 **GOAL: TALK TO PRIVATE STILLSON IN COMMONS, WIZARD CITY**

"I just have one last thing to say before you start your Quest", Merle says. "If you forget what quests you have promised to do, you can check your spell book, go to the Quest tab and see what you still have to do. Good luck in your Journey through Wizard City."

I walk away holding the letter and walk out the front door. For some reason, I knew where to go. Even though not knowing what this place was and where any place was, like Unicorn Way. But I knew where the gate to Unicorn Way was.

So I walked down to the gate to Unicorn Way without looking at my map. When I passed over Rainbow Bridge, I remembered I had to talk to Private Stillson so he can allow me to continue down to Unicorn Way. So I walked up to Private Stillson and start to talk to him.

"I hope you are the one to check on things in Unicorn Way", Private Stillson says to me. "If you aren't… Go somewhere else."

"I actually am", I say as I hand him the headmaster's letter.

"Looks legit, I will let you pass", he says as he moves stage left of the gate. "But I warn you, I heard of strange things happening in the towers of Unicorn Way. Anyways, just be careful."

"I will be careful", I say as he gave me the OK to go down the tunnel.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO PRIVATE STILLSON IN COMMONS, WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO PRIVATE CONNELLY IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

WIZARD CITY, UNICORN WAY, TUNNEL TO COMMONS

As I walked out of the tunnel to Unicorn Way, I was shown an enchanting environment. There is even a Unicorn statue in the middle of what looked like a moat. To my right there was an arena with ghosts flying in and out from the top. Looking to my left to see what I can see, but at my point of view, I can't see a thing. But I realized I had to go to Private Connelly, ask him if anything dangerous is going on and show him the letter from the headmaster. So I head up to him and start the conversation.

"Is there anything going on that is too much for guards to handle?" I ask him as I hand him the headmaster's letter.

"It's about time the headmaster sends someone to take care of the troubles on Unicorn Way", Private Connelly says in a rude tone while having his face up close to my face.

 **QUEST COMPLETE: CHECKING UP ON UNICORN WAY**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CONNELLY IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **REWARD: 5 GOLD + 30 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

I glowed so much I felt something happen to me, I felt my level increase to 2 along with 18 experience auras with 97 experience auras to level 3, 5 Gold Coins, 474 Health and 17 Mana. But enough about my statistics, Private Connelly coughs to get my attention.

"Sorry for my behavior being a bad first impression for all of Unicorn Way", Private Connelly apologizes. "It's just been stressful since Shadow Magic has been released because of The Wizard's involvement with a Necromancer, like Malestaire, gone rogue. Ambrose didn't even bother to get in contact with The Wizard to fix this, even when The Wizard did come back, Ambrose apparently did not tell The Wizard about what was going on here and tells him to go to the Arcanum and every time the Wizard comes here, Ambrose never mentions the problems The Wizard caused. I digress; I want you to check up on Ceren Nightchant, he looks a bit more worried about Lady Oriel and the fairies than what else is going on in Unicorn Way. If you could do that for me, once you get back, I will give you a Special Item of Unicorn Way."

"I will see what is wrong with him", I say.

 **QUEST: COUNSELING NIGHTCHANT**

 **GOAL: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

After I got what I needed to do, I started searching for Ceren Nightchant. Yet again, I knew where he was: between the pavilion and moat around the Unicorn Statue. I walked up to him.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked him.

"Wait, you aren't The Wizard…", he questions me.

 **QUEST COMPLETE: COUNSELING CEREN NIGHTCHANT**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **REWARD: 10 GOLD AND 70 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

Now I have 15 Gold, 88 Experience Auras and 27 Experience Auras to Level 3. Like after the previous gains due to a quest, I paid attention to what Ceren Nightchant is saying to me.

"Why are you here?" Ceren Nightchant asks me.

"I am the one who was sent to check up on Unicorn Way", I answered as I looked around. "But it seemed something happened since The Wizard came here."

"That's right", Ceren Nightchant responds. "Since The Wizard fixed things around Unicorn way and left, everything was peaceful. But then one day a dark aura flooded Unicorn Way from the Gate of Lady Oriel's Hedge Maze. Could you please check on Lady Oriel, or at least see what the door looks like at this point?"

"I will do it if you can't handle going there", I say as I accept the quest.

 **QUEST: ROOT TO UNICORN'S SHADOW**

 **GOAL: GO TO ENTRANCE TO HEDGE MAZE IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

With the Quest given to me, I began to walk down the street of Unicorn Way. Then I noticed a woman on her hands and knees crying in sorrow. I felt sympathetic for her and walked up to her.

"What's wrong", I asked the crying woman.

"Dear child", the woman says as she noticed the Headmaster's letter in my hand. "If you don't mind taking a break from What Merle Ambrose wants you to do and help old Olivia Dawnwillow here?"

"I don't mind at all", I respond. "What do you need help with?"

"I'm happy you asked", she says as she wipes her tears and stands up. "I have seen Skeletal Chimeras destroying the houses of Unicorn Way! They are dangerous individually, but in numbers they will obliterate you. But I can tell you have the potential. So please, wipe them out!"

"Wait", I say as I back away. "If I'm gonna take out some very dangerous beasts, you better give me something to look forward to."

"If you won't do it out of the kindness of your heart", Olivia Dawnwillow looks down. "I will give you my prized possession. You will find out when you come back with some of their onyx hearts in possession, so I know you defeated some of them."

"Now I am interested", I respond to her bribery. "I will do it for you."

 **QUEST: REVENGE ON BEASTS OF NIGHTMARES**

 **GOAL: COLLECT 3 ONYX HEARTS FROM DEFEATED SKELETAL CHIMERAS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

With this quest on top of checking on the Hedge Maze, I got a lot on my plate now. But I press further and continue. At first, there were no monsters on the street, but as I kept going up it, I definitely saw what she called Skeletal Chimera: a cat skeleton with a bat skull on its right, beetle skull on its left and what looks to be tinny wings. It had a shadowy aura surrounding its exterior. The source of the aura came from its chest.

 _That's probably the Onyx Heart giving it that aura._

So I charge at one of them. The one that saw me roared, which created a Wizard Battle Circle, and my hand glowed with green lightning, which means I can cast spells. We took our positions and the battle began.

I saw I had 474 Health, 17 Mana and 1 Pip. The Skeletal Chimera on the other hand had 100 Health, 1 Pip and what looked like a darker dot that looked like a Pip. My starting hand looked small: 3 Dark Sprites and 3 G.I.F. Slashes. Seeing G.I.F. Slash can take it out in one shot, I charged my hand even more and was ready to assault it. But to my dismay, the Skeletal Chimera was faster than me. The symbol of the spell it casted looked like a jagged swirl made of dark aura. Then it glowed even darker, due to the darker Pip being captured by it, so it can step out of its Spell casting circle. Once out of the circle, its darker tone was absorbed by the Spell casting circle. Then the beast's heads shot a dark energy ball out of each head one at a time, starting from its left all the way to its right head. The last blast hit my head knocking me back, that attack dealt 100 damage to me, leaving me at 374 Health and 17 Mana. I got back up a bit shaken after not knowing it had that much power in a natural attack. Realizing I can cast my spell, I did it. I did my usual left claw slash going diagonally down to the right from the left, but the casting symbol of Hack Spells looked different. It looked like a cursive "32" along with 5 circles above the "2" in the shape of 3 circles on the bottom, 1 circle above the far right one and the last one diagonally above the previous circle in the same row as the middle circle on the bottom row of the first three circles. Once the casting was complete, I started to feel a bit strange… Rage, Primal, _Bloodthirsty_! I jumped in the air and landed in the middle of the Battle Circle, where the creatures of the spells are summoned. I raised my hand; green and purple lightning came from the sky, clashed with my hand and shed the skin off of it. I felt the primal urges go away in trade of pain. Once all the skin was off, what was left was a metallic archfiend hand with lightning green and purple mix nails. Thinking the effect is temporary; I rushed toward the Skeletal Chimera and slashed it. But for some reason I went beyond the battle circle and struck two more Skeletal Chimera. After I was done, I looked behind me to see that the aura holding them together got sucked inside them and the bones just fall to the ground with no item causing the dark aura holding their bones on place.

 _Where did there source of power go?_

But I noticed they were right in front of me on the side walk. Along with an Onyx, Bone and a gold shiny card with the picture of a black beetle with a skull design on its head.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: COLLECT 3 ONYX HEARTS FROM DEFEATED SKELETAL CHIMERAS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO OLIVIA DAWNWILLOW WITHOUT LOSING THE THREE ONYX HEARTS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

I felt I should go show Olivia Dawnwillow, but if Ceren saw me going back to her without going back to him too, he would get too impatient and just wait for me at the gate to the Hedge Maze. So I put all the hearts and loot in my bag and continued down the sidewalk, to avoid any more conflict. But as I got closer to the Hedge Maze gate, the Onyx Hearts glowed darker than they originally. Once I go there, the hearts reacted to the door and tried to come out of my bag and be absorbed by the door. Then I realized there were chains and locks keeping the door closed. I noticed that the Locks had Heart-shaped key holes; the exact shape and size of the Onyx Hearts. So I let the Onyx Hearts out of my bag and let them get attracted to the Locks. But what happened to the Onyx Hearts is what I would regret.

 **GOAL FAILED: TALK TO OLIVIA DAWNWILLOW WITHOUT LOSING THE THREE ONYX HEARTS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: COLLECT 3 ONYX HEARTS FROM DEFEATED SKELETAL CHIMERAS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

The Onyx Hearts tried to go in but shattered into piles of Onyx, I could only get 5 Onyx pieces. So I think I should gather the Onyx pieces, get more Onyx Hearts and tell Ceren the condition of Lady Oriel's Hedge Maze gate.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO ENTRENCE TO HEDGE MAZE IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

Long story short, I got the Onyx Hearts…

 **GOAL COMPLETE: COLLECT 3 ONYX HEARTS FROM DEFEATED SKELETAL CHIMERAS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO OLIVIA DAWNWILLOW WITHOUT LOSING THE THREE ONYX HEARTS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

Along with not getting damage one bit and hurried to Olivia Dawnwillow to show her the Hearts.

"Sorry it took so long", I say to Olivia Dawnwillow. "But I got the hearts."

"Oh bless you child", Olivia Dawnwillow says with joy. "I can tell you worked hard to get those Hearts, but it should have taken shorter if you just taken out three of them, why did it take so long to get three hearts?"

"Well", I explain. "I started hunting them closest to the Hedge Maze gate. When they were defeated, the hearts were attracted to the locks on the gate and they shattered into normal Onyx. So I had to collect more Hearts and here we are now."

"Oh, I understand", Olivia Dawnwillow say in understanding. "It is weird why the chimeras are always so close to that gate. Now I see why thanks to you. I will take those Hearts off of you and give you your reward."

"Thank you", I say as I hand in the Hearts and get the quest complete.

 **QUEST COMPLETE: REVENGE ON BEASTS OF NIGHTMARES**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO OLIVIA DAWNWILLOW WITHOUT LOSING THE THREE ONYX HEARTS IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **REWARD: 10 GOLD AND 35 EXPERIENCE AURAS AND AMULET OF UNICORNO**

Now I have 25 Gold, 8 Experience Auras, 197 Experience Auras to Level 4, 499 Maximum and current Health, 19 Maximum and current Mana and one Amulet of Unicorno, the Amulet is in the form of the Energy Ring from the Beyblade Ray Unicorno but made of metal, with a emblem of a Unicorn where the hole would be, has a green aura circling the center of the Amulet and with a string made of Unicorn mane.

I felt the Amulet of Unicorno can give him the Unicorn Spell. But there was something else in the formula that felt like can break the rules of Wizardry. It was called "I call Unicorno, Guardian of Unicorn Way!". I felt it had the power to cast the same Unicorn Spell when you and or your allies have taken more than 400 Damage and will keep casting until you're health still has less than 300 lost. Yet I can't use this strange Spell, I have to be in a class that is not taught in Ravenwood; no wonder Olivia said this was her prized possession, it has the power to summon THE Unicorn!

I put it on me and moved to tell Ceren about the condition of the gate of Hedge Maze.

"Did you find out what the condition of the Hedge Maze is?" Ceren Nightchant asks as I go up to him.

 **QUEST COMPLETE: ROOT TO UNICORN'S SHADOW**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO ENTRENCE TO HEDGE MAZE IN UNICORN WAY, WIZARD CITY**

 **REWARD: 5 GOLD AND 45 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

Now I have 30 Gold, 53 Experience Auras and 152 Experience Auras to Level 4. But I focused on Ceren Nightchant.

"Well", I explain feeling he won't like what I have to say. "It does seem to be the source of the Shadow Magic in Unicorn Way…"

"Just as I feared!" Ceren panics. "All the rumors are true about Hedge Maze! I fear what would come out…"

"Actually", I cut him off as I explain. "It's locked up with lots of chains and seven locks with the key holes in shapes of hearts..."

"I think I know how to unlock the heart shaped locks", Ceren interrupts again. "If you collect seven Onyx Hearts of the Skeletal Chimeras and have they react to the door of the Hedge Maze and see what is in there."

"I will do so", I say just as I realize I have done it before.

 **NEW QUEST: GET ACCESS TO SHADOW'S ROOTS**

 **GOAL: COLLECT SEVEN ONYX HEARTS FROM SKELETAL CHIMERAS**

I have already gathered Onyx Hearts from that lady's quest.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: COLLECT SEVEN ONYX HEARTS FROM SKELETAL CHIMERAS**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO DOOR TO HEDGE MAZE**

I went to the door when realizing I should find out for Ceren before going to the lady and show her the hearts.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO DOOR TO HEDGE MAZE**

I have already seen what happens when the Onyx Hearts try to fit in the locks, they become piles of Onyx.

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT**

"Ceren", I explain myself as I show him the Onyx that came from the result of a previous quest. "I tried it before, and this was the result."

"What?!" Ceren says in shock. "If Onyx Hearts won't work, what would?!"

 **QUEST COMPLETE: GET ACCESS TO SHADOW'S ROOTS**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT**

 **REWARD: 10 GOLD AND 35 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

Now I have 40 Gold, 88 Experience Auras and 117 Experience Auras to Level 4. But I focused on Ceren Nightchant.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Ceren asks in a panicked tone. "If the Onyx Hearts won't unlock the Hedge Maze Gate, what would?"

"Do you know anyone who would have keys?" I asked him.

"I know my old friend Delia is a key hoarder", Ceren answers. "Maybe she would know. She always lives closest to her tower, if you are facing the tower, her house will be on the right, and her lights would be on of course."

"I will check on her and ask", I say as I accept the quest.

 **NEW QUEST: CHECKING UP ON DELIA**

 **GOAL: GO TO DELIA'S HOUSE IN UNICORN WAY**

With that, I journeyed to Delia's house. When I got there, it looked a bit damaged. So I went inside it to see if Delia was still in. When I got in there, I did not see a single person there, but there was a note on the ground.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO DELIA'S HOUSE IN UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: READ NOTE IN DELIA'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

I walked up to the note and started to read it:

 _If anyone gets this message, they probably saw the house was ransacked with nothing but broken furniture, pulled out drawers and just a mess. If you need to talk to me, come to Dorothy Gale's House. Her house is localized at the roundabout closest to my tower. I hope the one who gets this message is not of the shadows…_

 **GOAL COMPLETE: READ NOTE IN DELIA'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO DOROTHY GALE'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

Then I walk to where Dorothy Gale would live. When I finally got there, I was surprised to what I saw: No one was there.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO DOROTHY GALE'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT ON UNUCORN WAY**

With no lead to where she could be at this rate, I decided to head back to Ceren Nightchant so I can tell him the bad news.

"Did you find the keys to Hedge Maze?" Ceren asks me.

"That's the thing", I answer. "I can't find Delia so she can tell me if she has them."

"What!?" Ceren says in shock. "Where did your lead end?"

"Dorothy Gale's house", I answered. "Even when I got there, neither Delia nor Dorothy was there, on top of any leads to where they could be."

"Wait", Ceren says. "You did say that Dorothy was not there on top of Delia not being there too right?"

"Yes", I answer. "Are you saying Dorothy could have hidden away with someone she knows and did not give a lead to who could be searching for them, even if the searcher is good?"

"That's right", Ceren answers. "If I know that girl, she would hide with her friends Mr. Toto and Tin Man. If Delia decided to hide with Dorothy and if Dorothy found out she wrote a message saying where she would be, why wouldn't she hide somewhere else on top of not leaving a lead to where they would be? Even though both of them leaving would leave us at a dead end, but knowing Dorothy and where she would feel safe except for her own home, why wouldn't she go to her friends for protection?"

"So you want me to go to Mr. Toto and Tin Man's house?" I ask.

"That's right", Ceren answers. "If Delia is with Dorothy and at Mr. Toto's and Tin Man's residence, we can see if she has the keys and go into Hedge Maze to see how it is the source of Shadows."

"I will get the keys from Delia", I say as I.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT ON UNUCORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO MR. TOTO AND TIN MAN'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

Now I walk to Mr. Toto's house to get the keys. When I got there, I was very surprised.

"Thank the Seraph someone showed up!" Dorothy praises as I showed up. "You came just in time; we need help getting Tin Man back together, could you fix him up?"

"I will", I answer as I look around, but I did not see Delia in the house. "If you tell me where Delia is after I fix up Tin Man?"

"Oh, I definitely will", Dorothy answers. "Just please, help Tin Man!"

"I will", I reassure Dorothy.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO MR. TOTO AND TIN MAN'S HOUSE ON UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: INTERACT WITH TIN MAN**

So I go up to Tin Man's remnants, start to put him back together bit by bit and eventually fixed him up fully.

"Oh thank you", Tin Man says as he gets up and walks around. "Now I wish I did not try to defend Delia. If I did not defend her, she would not have taken our house key…"

 **QUEST COMPLETE: CHECKING UP ON DELIA**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: INTERACT WITH TIN MAN**

 **REWARD: 10 GOLD 35 EXPERIENCE AURAS AND CLOCKWORK TREASURE CARD**

Now I have 50 Gold, 123 Experience Auras, 82 Experience Auras to Level 4 and a gold card with what looked like Tin Man called Clockwork, a Rank 2 Damage Life Spell with 90% Accuracy that deals 200 Life Damage.

"That is true, even when you got torn apart they took her before I could get the key back", Mr. Toto says as he walks to Tin Man. "But thank Merle you are better, I would not know what I would do if it was too late for you to recover…"

"Now I see why Ceren called her a key hoarder", I comment to what Tin Man is complaining. "But I am happy to fix Tin Man just in time."

"Speaking of Delia", Dorothy changes the subject. "What do you want with Delia?"

"Me and Ceren think she has the keys to the locks on the door to the Hedge Maze", I explain.

"That's the same thing the strange folk said", Tin Man says.

"I do recall those cretins searching for those keys", Mr. Toto explains. "They said that she stole the keys from them. When Delia denies that statement, they start to advance towards her. Tin Man tries to defend for her, but that ended in a bad way."

"It is most likely they would take her to a place farthest from this house", Dorothy says. "I would guess they took her to her own tower for payback."

"I know where that is", I say as I realize I don't know what I am going up against. "But who took her?"

"As I could see through no glasses", Mr. Toto answers. "They seemed to be humanoid in structure, light grey skin and wearing very dark purple cloaks with a swirl of the same color with black on the outside of the rims of the swirls. But I sadly could not understand them due to being def after the explosion of poor Tin Man."

"They were actually skeletons", Dorothy Gale explains just before turning to me. "They were also taller than the skeletons that are native to Wizard City. There is something else about these Skeletons than ones in Wizard City: they have essence of shadow magic. They also seemed to want the keys to either keep the door locked or access the door for themselves."

"Ceren needs to know what happened to Lady Oriel in the Hedge Maze", I explain to Dorothy. "Which is also the source of all the Shadows. So if they are going to take advantage of the Roots of Shadow and use it to cause even more trouble in wizard city. This is more the reason for me to get access to the Hedge Maze than the key thieves."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Dorothy asks. "If you think they could make the shadows of Unicorn Way spread to at least the Commons, Wizard City will be doomed! So get Delia and bring her here so we can get the keys back…"

Mr. Toto nudges Dorothy at that moment.

"Oh, you're right", Dorothy realizes. "And the keys to my house and Mr. Toto's house, good Colossus she is a hoarder."

"Will do my lady", I accept the challenge.

 **NEW QUEST: SAVE DELIA, THE KEY HOARDER**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO DELIA'S TOWER**

As I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I marched my way to Delia's Tower to challenge the hooded skeletons of shadow. It took a while to go around the hoards of Skeletal Chimera, but I finally made it to Delia's Tower and entered it.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO DELIA'S TOWER**

 **NEW GOAL: DEFEAT SCHAADOE RAEVENNWUUD**

When I got inside, I saw a young girl in the back of the room in chains and locks similar to on the doors to Hedge Maze on the far side of the room. In front of her chained self were a Skeletal Pirate and what looked to be an exact description to what Dorothy explained, but it seemed like it looked like a big bird skeleton with a cloak and shadow magic aura around him.

"Wizard, please help", Delia calls begs to me. "Stop this Schaadoe Raevennwuud from torturing me!"

"That is nothing compared to what I had to go through women!" Schaadoe Raevenwuud scolds her just before noticing she was talking to me. "At last, Merle Ambrose sends someone to solve the problems of Unicorn Way. But you are too late! I got the keys right in my hands. I was on my way to the Hedge Maze doors until you showed up! So if you want these keys, you have to go through me first!"

Determined to get those keys from him, I charged my left hand and charged toward Schaadoe Raevenwuud. In turn we all engaged in a wizard duel. Schaadoe Raevenwuud had 135 Health, 1 Pip and 1 Shadow Pip. The Skeletal Pirate had 80 Health and 1 Pip. While I have 499 Health, 19 Mana and 1. In my hand, I got the three G.I.F. Slashes, one Unicorn and three Dark Sprites. Knowing G.I.F. Slash can take out 100 Health enemies, it can definitely take out Schaadoe Raevennwuud's Skeletal Pirate. So I gripped the spell and waited for the others to choose a spell. For some reason Schaadoe let his pirate goes first, the pirate cast a Myth Spell. From the ground came a monstrous bat popped from the ground with a long tongue drooling green liquid. When it attacked, it spat at me! That spit on top of it dealt 70 damage to me, leaving me with 429 Health. When I got to cast my Spell, I held nothing back and attacked that pirate into bone dust! When that cycle was done, Schaadoe Raevennwuud looked really ticked off.

Since I still have full Mana, two G.I.F. Slashes and two Pips, I thought I should try to cast the Unicorn to increase my Health in case I get heavily damaged. So I cast another G.I.F. Slash. But he was too fast and casted a Death Spell. From the ground came a purple beetle with a skull pattern on it's head, it charged at me dealing 139 damage, leaving me with 290 Health and a shield on my chest with the symbol of a bear trap below a death symbol. If I'm good at deciphering this symbol, it means I will get even more hurt after another death spell hits me. Ignoring this for the round I attacked Schaadoe Raevennwuud! After that, he was limping with 35 Health left. After that round he had 1 Pip and 2 Shadow Pips.

Now with full Mana, one G.I.F. Slash and three Pips; I decided to finish him off with one last G.I.F. Slash. But he surprised me with him casting a Shadow Spell! It was similar to what I and the Skeletal Chimera would cast: he stepped out of his circle covered in shadow aura, put his right hand out and a wave of shadow came from behind him and hit me with a whopping 200 damage, leaving me on my knees with 90 Health. When my turn came, I struggled to cast the spell, yet if felt fully charged to slash him into obliteration! When I won, I fell to my knees as Schaadoe Raevennwuud mocked me.

"You really think you won? This is just the beginning", Schaadoe Raevennwuud mocks as he is surrounded in shadow aura. "If you think you won't see me again, you are highly mistaken, here are _copies_ of the seven keys needed to unlock the Hedge Maze Gate. So you have two choices: unlock the five chains on Delia or beat me to the Hedge Maze Gate… you have thirty seconds to decide…"

30… 29… 28… 27… 26… 25… 24… 23… 22… 21… I thought during that period which I should choose. 20… 19… 18… 17… 16… 15… 14… During that time I thought I should help Delia. 13… 12… **10… 09… 08… 07… 06… 05…** I thought during that time I should beat Schaadoe Raevennwuud to the gate. **04… 03… 02… 01… 0!** In the end, I could not choose? Along with my sorrow for not choosing, the keys faded from existence.

"Holly Blood Bats! Why did you not help Me?!" Delia asks me.

"I-I don't know… Why did I not choose…", I say to myself just as Schaadoe Raevennwuud laughs at me.

"I know why you did not choose", Schaadoe Raevenwuud cracks up as he is holding two sets of the seven keys to the Hedge Maze gate. "But I won't tell you, you will know soon! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Now I will be going with my fourteen keys to the gate. Hope to see your face when all of Unicorn Way flooded with Shadows…"

Just after that, he teleported in cloud of shadows and raven feathers. Both I and Delia just stayed there while feeling Shadows surrounding the outside of the tower…

 _ **GAME OVER?!**_

 _This is not happening, is it? I just let "Shadow" flood all of Unicorn Way and there is nothing I can do about it…_ I think as I sink into depression.

We did not create him for this purpose.

He needs to succeed in this trial to prove to Merle that he can trust him.

This all started thanks to Schaadoe Raevennwuud giving him a decision to make between saving someone and not beat him to the source of Shadows. 

Or leave her behind chained up in the tower and beat him to the roots of the problems on Unicorn Way. 

That sounds like my piece of cake. 

You don't know what will happen to her if you leave her behind. 

He has a point, if we don't beat him to it; he will spread Shadow's Power through Unicorn Way, like what happened when Duncan did nothing.

Let's say we did that, we probably should have Duncan tell Delia he will be back for her.

So, are we settled?

All of a sudden, everything looks like the matrix: green letters, numbers and random symbols randomly rain down from the ceiling and gets warped and estranged. Just as that was done, I am where we were just before, panting on the ground with the seven keys after defeating Schaadoe Raevennwuud and him laughing at me. I know what he is gonna say too and I know how to response, for some odd reason…

"Delia", I say to the chained girl. "I'm gonna make sure Schaadoe here does not release more shadows on Unicorn Way. But I will come back for you, don't know how, but I will be back for you."

"Wait", Schaadoe Raevennwuud interrupts. "How did you know I was gonna unlock the roots of Shadow?"

"It seems I was given a second chance by some higher being", I say as I look at my hand. "The ones who brought me into this world… Anyways, I will make sure you don't have access to those roots!"

"We will see about…", Schaadoe says just before I strike him with my left hand. Delia screams in fear, I shush her, sneakily take five of his keys, go over to Delia, unlock her chains, and leave with her.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: DEFEAT SCHAADOE RAEVENNWUUD**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO DOROTHY GALE IN MR. TOTO'S HOUSE WITH DELIA WITH YOU**

"Why did you leave him with the other Keys?" Delia asks as I escort her to Mr. Toto's house.

"I was only focusing on you at the time", I answer. "Besides, I think he won't be able to figure out how to forge more of those keys…"

"Actually…", Delia tries to say just before we go into Mr. Toto.

"Delia, you're safe!" Dorothy Gale says in glee as she runs up to her and hugs her. "You look a bit roughed up, did he hurt you?"

"I was just chained up, nothing else", Delia reassures Dorothy. "Duncan here saved me though, when a wizard duel did not kill that figure, he slugged it without knowing, grabbed the keys and unshackled me; he is such a hero…"

"Glad to see you're safe Delia", Mr. Toto says in relief as he walks down the stairs along with Tin Man just following him from behind. "Dorothy, sorry to say this but…"

"I feel that hoarder took my oiling can!" Tin Man complains. "Thank goodness you saved her Duncan, if you didn't I would not be able to leave the house and seas up even if I decide to leave…"

"Tin Man, so you are the owner", Delia realizes as she takes out an oiling can. "I found it just outside of Unicorn Park, did not know who it belonged to and kept it until someone comes and find me. I thought I told Merle to spread the work that I will be the lost and found of Wizard City."

"Were you gonna tell me something before we got in Mr. Toto's house", I remind Delia of the conversation.

"Oh that's right", Delia remembers. "Before Duncan came, the figure threatened me with death if I didn't tell him how I was able to make seven copies of the keys I had and… I know those looks on your faces, you think I told him… and you are right, I did tell him, just so I don't die and haunt my own tower!"

"Sorry for not being there sooner", I said to her.

"It's not your fault you couldn't be there before it threatened me", Delia explains. "It took a while for me to duplicate the keys when I got them; one key takes half a day after all! So it will take him shorter than me: 2 and a half days tops. He can manipulate the Powers of Shadow, so he can do it without any trouble! So he can do it in over a whole day!"

 **QUEST COMPLETE: SAVE DELIA, THE KEY HOARDER**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO DOROTHY GALE IN MR. TOTO'S HOUSE WITH DELIA WITH YOU**

 **REWARD: 10 GOLD AND 35 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

Now I have 60 Gold, 158 Experience Auras and 47 Experience Auras to Level 4. Then I focused on Dorothy.

"You need to tell Ceren as soon as you can", Dorothy says to me. "He can figure out a way to make sure the fiend can't use the keys on the Hedge Maze chains."

"I think that's a good idea", I say as I accept the quest.

 **NEW QUEST: FENCING OFF THE ROOTS OF SHADOW**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT IN UNICORN PARK IN WIZARD CITY**

Then I walked out and head for Ceren Nightchant. When I got to him I showed him the seven keys.

"You got the keys, great", Ceren says in excitement. "Now we can see what happened to Lady Oriel."

"Problem with that", I admit to Ceren. "We have an enemy. His name is Schaadoe Raevennwuud; he has two copies of one of the keys in my possession. We have just over a day to make sure he makes five more of these things and will be able to go in."

"So we can get there before him right now", Ceren says.

"Actually", I admit again. "When these keys are used on the locks and chains, the chains break and disappear along with the key used on it. Then if we use the keys now, there will be no way to lock the gate back up again. I had to free Delia that way."

"So that's why you said he needed to make copies of the keys he has", Ceren realizes as he realizes something else. "So if we use our keys, he will be able to access Hedge Maze too. Maybe if you go to Hedge Maze gate, you can find another way in."

"I will take a look again", I say as I accept the quest.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT IN UNICORN PARK IN WIZARD CITY**

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO ENTRENCE OF HEDGE MAZE ON UNICORN WAY**

Then I go on my way to the Hedge Maze. Once I got there, I felt a strange presence to where one of the Smiths used to be… But why I know of such creatures is far beyond my knowledge right now.

" _If you want to meet Lady Oriel_ ", an ominous voice comes from the distortion. " _You have to come through this portal… If you are thinking of showing Ceren Nightchant this, he can't see it, only you and the race that created you… Just get in here or I will close it forever and you fail your quest._ "

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO ENTRENCE OF HEDGE MAZE ON UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: ENTER OMINOUS PORTAL THAT LEADS TO LADY ORIEL**

I take the advice of going in the portal so I can see Lady Oriel. When I entered it, I saw something I would not have expected: I was in a room with medical equipment along with several empty beds, but one of them looked like it is actually two to three beds together to hold some kind of angel with her sword on the other side of the room. I would think she is Lady Oriel.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: ENTER OMINOUS PORTAL THAT LEADS TO LADY ORIEL**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO LADY ORIEL IN MEDICAL ROOM**

I go up to Lady Oriel. She looked strange, long black hair, light purple eyes, and bruised skin wearing a hospital gown. When she saw me she was filled with joy.

"Oh praise the light", she says with unlimited happiness. "Someone has come at last! I don't know what happened to me… I was minding my own business handling my fairies when a dark purple glowing seed fell from the sky. When it landed right in front of me… it exploded in roots of an evil I have not felt before, so I could not defend myself at the moment. I passed out and ended up here. The nurses told me what happened to me as I see what my beautiful body became! If you see Ceren Nightchant again, tell him I have failed him…"

"Ceren is worried about you", I explain the situation to her. "Just before Unicorn Way was flooded with the full power of Shadow, the gate was locked up with seven locks and keys. If anyone unlocks those locks, there will be no way to lock them back up. So do you have any knowledge of how to prevent anyone from accessing the locks?"

"Ceren is worried about me", Lady Oriel says to me. "I'm worried about him too, but he needs to focus on Unicorn Way before me for now… But we do need to block out the gate… I need you to do a request for me…"

She rings a bell; we wait a long time just for a robotic nurse to come up to her.

"Your wish is my command", the nurse says in a pixilated voice. "What do you need done."

Lady Oriel whispers in the nurse's ear. After she was done talking to her she turns to me as the nurse heads for the sword.

"I need you to go to the gate and strike it with my sword", Lady Oriel explains. "Once it is done… a giant Spirit Armor will appear… So if anyone wants to get in… They will need to attack it… Don't worry though… It will absorb all the damage as long as I am alive… So will you please take it to the gate and say these words of power…"

She waves me over so she can whisper the words of power in my ear.

"Once you are done", Lady Oriel says to me. "Come back right away… I don't want you to tell anyone where I am right now… I don't even know where I am… a hooded figure with a '32' on his cloak told me when someone comes to see me… I need to tell them to tell no one where I am… He said it is for my own good…"

"Is his name Professor Gigabyte Vanvabyte", I ask her. "Your description seemed to match the same person I saw in Golem Tower after someone interrupted my enrollment."

"His name is not that", she answers. "He said his name was Grey Greyhat… But he said once I recover… I won't remember what happened to me here… I probably won't remember seeing you here… Tartarus… I probably won't remember giving you my sword and the incantation to seal the gate…"

"Don't worry", reassure her as I remember the possible fate of Unicorn Way. "I will never forget, like I did that one time…"

"Tell me… dear child", Lady Oriel asks me. "What happened on that 'one time'?"

"Please Lady Oriel", the robot nurse says. "Would you have your guest take the sword so my arms don't get severed by its weight?"

"I will take it off of your hands", I say to the nurse as she hands me the sword.

"Thank you child", the robot nurse says. "I hope to see you again soon. Is there anything else you need from me Lady Oriel?"

"You can go… And tell Grey Greyhat I said hi and thank you for bringing me some company", Lady Oriel dismisses the nurse as she turns to me. "Now go and protect Unicorn Way for me… I can't go while I am sick…"

"I will do what you request", I say as I accept the new goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO LADY ORIEL IN MEDICAL ROOM**

 **NEW GOAL: PUT UP LADY ORIEL'S BARRIER OF THE ORACLES**

With Lady Oriel's Sword in hand, I go to the portal and exit to Unicorn Way. Once I got there I saw Schaadoe Raevennwuud in front of the door with four of the locks unlocked.

"Just two more keys I need to duplicate and will release my creator upon this filthy world", Schaadoe Raevennwuud says to himself. "Oh father, they treated my kind like common skeletal being. But don't worry, when you show yourself no one will mock my kind again, and I will fulfill my role and change the way Necromancy is treated… I will be back to free you, father…"

He walks away from the door, not noticing me, but the Skeletal Chimera move aside for him as he walks down the street. I hurry up to the door, stab the sword right in front of the door with the edges of the blade facing to my right and left and perform the incantation.

" _Frágma ton Oraríon_!" I call to the sword. What I saw was jaw dropping: The sword glowed with a green aura, fragmented and manifested itself as a Spirit Armor Ward the size of the door, heck it filled the whole frame of the darn door! The symbol on the Ward looked like a Greek warrior helmet along with wings like an angel's on each side of the helm. With the Barrier of the Oracles put up, I need to inform Lady Oriel that the barrier is complete.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: PUT UP LADY ORIEL'S BARRIER OF THE ORACLES**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO LADY ORIEL IN MEDICAL ROOM**

I then go up to the portal and enter it. When I got to the medical room, I hurried up to Lady Oriel and told her.

"The barrier is successfully put up", I say to Lady Oriel.

"Bless you young boy", Lady Oriel says with a sigh of relief. "The last wizard who had the drive to solve the problems in Unicorn Way was a wizard who had great potential… One of Merle Ambrose's greatest Students…"

"Is it The Wizard everyone has been talking about?" I ask her.

"Why yes actually", Lady Oriel answers. "It's been a while since I have seen The Wizard… What is the latest news on his activities?… The last I heard Ceren told me he defeated Malestaire and freed his soul from his act to summon the Dragon Titan… It's sad he died after that… Who knew a Master of the Death Arts could not prevent himself from dying himself…"

"I am afraid to say", I answer her question. "There are rumors that after The Wizard defeated this Morganthe, he freed Cob, the source of all of Shadow Magic and that might be why that seed landed in front of you."

"Oh… This can't be true… is it?" She asks desperately. "If it is true… What else could have happened to him?! The last thing I expect him to do badly is owe Kingsisle thousands of Crowns and…"

"Sad to say", I admit to her. "He does…"

"This can't be true!" she says in shock as she grabs the bell and rings in persistently. "I will have to ask Grey Greyhat to find out if this is true… Not like I believe you uh…"

"Duncan", I introduce myself. "Duncan Glitchcity, at your service."

"Sorry for being rude for a moment Duncan Glitchcity", Lady Oriel apologizes. "Before I forget… Since you were such a great help… here is a spell… I know my sickness will pollute it… But it is the least I could do as thanks… On top of scolding at you…"

 **QUEST COMPLETE: FENCING OFF THE ROOTS OF SHADOW**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO LADY ORIEL IN MEDICAL ROOM**

 **REWARD: 20 GOLD 40 EXPERIENCE AURAS AND A RANK 2 85% ACCURACY STEAL HEALTH DEATH SPELL CALLED LEACH PIXIES**

Now I have 80 Gold, 198 Experience Auras, 7 Experience Auras to Level 4 and a Rank 2 85% Accuracy Steal Health Death Spell called Leach Pixies that deals 200 Steal Health damage and gives 400 Health onto me. Then I focused on Lady Oriel.

"Now go tell Ceren there is a beerier around the Hedge Maze gate", Lady Oriel tells me. "Just tell him it was there when you got there… And tell him you assume Lady Oriel sent a fairy to cast it… I don't want him to worry about me… So as long as 'I am being protected by the barrier around the Hedge Maze gate' everything will be OK… You know what I am trying to say right?"

"I do, Lady Oriel", I say to her as I accept the quest.

 **NEW QUEST: UNICORN WAY IS SAFE**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT ON UNICORN WAY**

With seeing that she doesn't want to talk anymore, I walked away and left the Medical Room. I ended up in Unicorn Way near the Hedge Maze door and walked away. It took a while to get there, but I made it to Unicorn Park where I saw Ceren Nightchant preying in front of the Unicorn Statue in Unicorn Park. When I walked up to him he was still preying:

"Please Unicorno", he prayed to the statue. "If you could just tell me once… How Lady Oriel, my mother, is doing. You know I can't access her due to the Shadow Chains and Locks. I don't know who put them on there, but I thank them for doing so in the name of Unicorn Way. But could you please tell me so I know she is OK!"

Suddenly my Amulet glows and what appear to be an illusion of a green unicorn with non-Unicorn features but its own.

"I heed your call Ceren", the illusion says form my amulet. "As luck will have it, I can tell you where your Mother Lady Oriel is…"

"Then tell me", Ceren says just before noticing me with the amulet that made him appear. "What does he have to do with this? How does he know where my mother is?! Oh great, now he know I am the son of a Seraph!"

"At least he does not know who your father is", Unicorno comments and turns to me. "Now Duncan Glitchcity, tell him about his mother while keeping your promise to her."

"I will", say to Unicorno just before he disappears.

"So", Ceren asks. "How is the Hedge Maze?"

"It so happens there was a barrier around the entrance to Hedge Maze", I answer. "For all I can tell, your mother, Lady Oriel, is doing just fine."

"Thank the Seraphs there is a barrier blocking the gate", Ceren praises. "At least mom is safe on the other side, but I am still worried about Lady Oriel. I don't know if there is anymore we can do here since I am still under ranked at this point to worry about the Arena. I think we should inform Headmaster Ambrose about what is going on and what we solved. I still need to stay here in case anything comes up, if you could, would you tell Headmaster Ambrose about what happened in Unicorn way. I will make sure to tell Headmaster Ambrose if Schaadoe Raevennwuud ever comes up again."

"Will do", I say as I accept the quest. "And thank you for telling me incase Schaadoe Raevennwuud pops up again."

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CEREN NIGHTCHANT ON UNICORN WAY**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE IN HIS OFFICE IN COMMONS**

With that new goal, I head over to the gate to Commons and leave Unicorn Way. After arriving at Commons, it took quite a bit too get to get to the Headmaster's building. But once I made it over inside, Merle looked surprised to see me back, probably thinking the quest should have taken longer, like days.

"So", Merle Ambrose asks me. "How is everything going in Unicorn Way?"

So I told him the whole story: What happened in Unicorn Way, helped a women with Skeletal Chimera problems, told him about Schaadoe Raevennwuud's intentions, and defeated him even though he was not going down in one shot and after Schaadoe Raevennwuud left where he revealed his intentions ( _This is where I start to lie due to the promise I gave Lady Oriel_ ), a barrier appeared around the gate to the Hedge Maze just after he just left the gate's eyesight; I also included the part of Delia complaining that Merle did not tell everyone she was the lost and found lady. I did not tell him about the other stuff that he doesn't need to know about, even though they have changed my life: getting a second chance at not letting Schaadoe Raevennwuud flood Unicorn way, about the amulet I got from the old women that had the spirit of Unicorno, on top of the time Unicorno appeared from the amulet while Ceren was praying, even if he already knew about Ceren being part Seraph I would not tell him; I also could not tell him all that also due to freaking out about Delia.

"Delia is a hoarder and always will be!", he yells at me. "She came up and asked me if she could be a finders keepers person in Wizard City. I accepted it just before problems arose in Wizard City. After you told me she can duplicate, I doubt she is giving out the real of the items she found being copied…"

"I understand about the Delia problem", I said in respect. "But we should actually be worrying about Shadow's influence on Unicorn Way, Skeletal Chimera, Haunted Arena, Schaadoe Raevennwuud and his so called father…"

"That Schaadoe Raevennwuud and his so called father could be a problem in the future", Merle Ambrose comments. "But since you are not at the right level to get access to the Arena, we can say that problems on Unicorn Way are solved for now."

"If you say so", I say with a bit of regret of not telling him what I decided to not tell him.

 **QUEST COMPLETE: UNICORN WAY IS SAFE**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE IN HIS OFFICE IN COMMONS**

 **REWARD: 35 GOLD AND 45 EXPERIENCE AURAS**

Now I have 80 Gold, 38 Experience Auras, 302 Experience Auras to Level 5, 523 Maximum and current Health, 21 Maximum and current Mana and surprisingly 1 Training Point. According to my book, Training Points help me get access to other school spells, but I have to go sequentially in one school in order to access higher rank spells. But I focused more on Merle now.

"Since you have done such a great job in Unicorn Way and look tired after doing so", Merle notices. "You can go to your dorm room and rest up for tomorrow, I will try to get you introduced to your teachers, the same ones who have taught all the other wizards here in Wizard City."

"Thank you", I thank just before I notice I don't have a place to rest. "But Headmaster, where do I rest?"

"You can rest in my Observatory", he says as he waves his hand to my right. "Right in that room is a bed in the far corner and you can lie down until I give Gamma the cue to wake you."

"Thank you headmaster", I thank him one more time, go into the observatory and lie down on the bed in the corner across from Gamma's pedestal.


	3. Quest 2: Enrollment and Hacker

Hacker101

Player: Duncan Glitchcity - Novice Necromancer

WIZARD CITY, COMMONS, MERLE'S OFFICE, MERLE'S OBSERVATORY

I was woken up by Gamma of all the residents of Wizard City. He was right next to me when I woke up. But when I saw him, I jumped out of my bed.

"Sorry for dooing this all oof a sudden", Gamma apologizes. "But Ambrose needs to see yoou."

"Alright", I say. "I will get to it."

 **QUEST: RISE AND SHINE**

 **GOAL: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE**

I leave the observatory to Ambrose's office. I walk up to him and talk to him.

"Well, good morning Duncan Glitchcity", Merle greets me. "How did you sleep?"

"I had a dream that I couldn't comprehend", I answered. "But Gamma saved me from my confusion by waking me up. But I want to get to do a quest!"

"I like your enthusiasm", Ambrose looks up to me in surprise. "But we need to enroll you into Ravenwood."

 **QUEST COMPLETE: RISE AND SHINE**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE**

 **REWARD: NONE | THIS IS A QUEST EVERY TIME YOU WAKE UP**

"Now let's get to your enrollment", Ambrose says as he looks down at his papers at his desk. "Sorry you had to check on Unicorn Way while The Wizard is away. Anyways, I need you to visit all your teachers. If you think your spells are enough, you are wrong. Your main school teacher will teach you a spell when you reach a level of understanding those certain spells. So you need to visit all the teachers so you can understand what they teach. I will be waiting or when you come back."

"Do they know I'm coming?" I ask.

"Don't worry, they do", Ambrose answers. "Malorn Ashthorn is especially surprised there is another Necromancer since penny Dreadful."

"I understand", I say as I accept the quest.

 **QUEST: ENROLLMENT**

 **GOAL: ENTER RAVENWOOD GATES**

I walk out of Merle's building and go to and enter the entrance of Ravenwood. When I was out of the tunnel to Ravenwood, I was in awe: a giant tree with eyes, a nose and a closed mouth surrounded by medieval architecture: towers that are linked to their respected schools by a giant arc with the respected school symbol.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: ENTER RAVENWOOD GATES**

 **NEW GOALS: TALK TO ARTHUR WETHERSFIELD, TALK TO HALSTON BALESTROM, TALK TO LYDIA GREYROSE, TALK TO DALIA FALMEA, TALK TO MALORN ASHTHORN, TALK TO CYRUS DRAKE, TALK TO MOOLINDA WU**

But when I tried to find my school, Death, there was no building and no Tower! But a gaping chasm and another Necromancer with a book in hand.

"Have you come looking for the Death School?", he asks me as I come up to him, somehow knowing I was looking for it and continues. "Well you found where it used to be. This gaping chasm is all that is left after it was torn away from Ravenwood. It is said that Malestaire, the Death Professor, caused it to disappear. I'm not sure what happened to the school but you'll find many rumors around town about it; especially where The Wizard found it behind a waterfall… sounds ridiculous, huh."

"Who are you again?" I ask him.

"Oh, I'm Malorn Ashthorn", he introduces himself. "I don't mean to boast, but I used to be one of Malestaire's top students. Now, I'm all that's left, so I try to teach the new students. Penny Dreadful was one of them and the last one before you came along. So what's your name?"

"I'm Duncan Glitchcity", I answered as I shake his left hand with mine. "I thought Merle Ambrose told you about me?"

"All he mentioned to me that a new Death Student is coming by to all the schools and didn't bother to tell me his name", he answered. "But glad to finally meet you."

We were shaking for a minute until he noticed what my hand looked like. I noticed his staring, took my hand away and apologized for my distorted hand.

"Don't worry", Malorn brushes it under the rug. "I have seen a lot more strange people becoming Necromancers. I even wonder why people become Necromancer's now a days… Anyways, if you want, I can teach you some Death Spells, or 'necromancy'. If you're up for it, stop by anytime."

"Wait!" Malorn calls just before I walk away. "This is something I have been lacking with the new students."

He pulls out a badge with the Death School Emblem on it.

"These are Wizard Level Sensors", Malorn explains. "This is how all the teachers know when students reached a milestone of understanding. This one is specifically for all Death Students. These ones are very rare. Penny would have gotten one, but a student beat her to it right before her."

"I wish I could tell you…" he says just before looking in all directions and whispers in my ear. "If you want to know of this student, come back when you're Level 7, and don't ask about him before or after that time. Please I don't want to be called by Merle for mentioning him…"

"I understand", I say as I complete that goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO MALORN ASHTHORN**

When I tried to go to Dalia Falmea, I couldn't go past to the front of her school and bounced back like it was a wall made of a trampoline!

"Is everything OK?" Malorn asked me.

"Yah, I'm fine", I reassured him even though I wasn't sure I was.

 _My, my, look how you have grown_ , I hear a voice I haven't heard since Golem Tower. _It's about time you were introduced to my school. Just come to the portal that is behind the School of Fire._

Before I could respond to it, I saw a poof of green pixels erupt from behind the building.

"What are you looking at?" Malorn asks me in concern.

 _Don't mind the Necromancer_ , the same voice says to me. _Just come to me and we will introduce you to us._

 **NEW GOAL: GO TO GREEN PORTAL BEHIND SCHOOL OF FIRE**

So I walk to the back of the School of Fire, and to my surprise there WAS a Green Portal behind the school of Fire! I entered it not knowing what will happen.

When I did, I ended up in a room full of two sets of desks lined up in two rows of eight desks with cloaked figures sitting at the desks with metallic archfiend hands typing on the desks. While a taller figure is at a touch screen on Stage Right of the desk in the far back of the room.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: GO TO GREEN PORTAL BEHIND SCHOOL OF FIRE**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO NEW TEACHER**

"Alright", the tall figure says to the students while turned to the board. "What is the answer to question 6?"

"Necromancers", I say even though not knowing what the question was.

Then all of the students at the desks and the teacher, who looks like the one from Golem Tower, turn to me who answered it and gave me the impression that they didn't notice him coming in. Then the figure waves to me to come to him. I walk to him as he talks to me.

"Did you know what the question was?" He asks while I walk to him.

"No, but was 'Necromancers' the right answers?" I answer while asking another question.

"The question was 'Who always ended up being The Wizard's main target before Grandfather Spider woke up?' There were four options: Dragons, Frost Giants, Seraphs or Necromancers. As you can tell from the options, Necromancers is one of them and is the right answer. Great job for answering it correctly", he says as he claps his hands enthusiastically; but he stops and acts professional like in Golem Tower. "If you can't remember, I'm Gigabyte Vanvabyte. Professor of Hack Magic. This magic is a dangerous art to master, anyone who isn't Archtech in blood will go mad and end up committing suicide with their own goals being their downfall."

"So does that mean I'm part Archtech?" I ask realizing I can use Hack Magic. "But do you know if anyone who isn't Archtech in blood who use this Magic? Or at least anyone who uses something similar?"

"You do have a good point", Gigabyte Vanvabyte realizes. "We are learning as we speak that The Wizard has faced opponents who used a technique that allows them to use spell that are not mainstream or use spells during, before or in reaction to what he did for them to respond. We call it Cheating because we originally came up with the concept… But before you ask why they are using it even though it could kill them, we don't know from whom they came across this technique, I will need to ask about that because some of my students were asking me this a few months before you came along… Anyways, glad you came by; see you when you reach Level 7."

"Why then?" I asked him and continued for a little. "I could get spells from Malorn Ashthorn and could still have to wait to get a unique spell to that school. So why do I need to wait until then to come back here?"

"You are still human", one of the students in the far stage left side of the school says. "You have to grow in your Archtech Blood over time. Usually Level 7 Wizards tend to feel the Archtech energy flowing through them that can be controlled. It was the same with some of us…"

"Thank you for the thorough explanation Hark", Vanvabyte says as he turns to me. "you were born by parents even Merle doesn't know of, even if we knew that will just spoil the fun, you suddenly gained the potential to use Hack Magic, but you will not be allowed to use Cheats yet because you haven't fully grown your Archtech genes yet… See you when you have grown."

He turns around and continues the lesson as the goal was completed.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO GIGABYTE VANVABYTE**

So I left the school and ended up entering the School of Fire building, I didn't think about why the portal brought me here instead of the back of the School of Fire because I had a goal to talk to Dalia Falmea. All the Pyromancers I'm surprised are on break, unlike the School of Hack I went to who were in the middle of a lesson, were talking to each other. I walk up to Dalia and talk to her while the front row students stare at me, most likely at my estranged left hand.

"Hello. Welcome to the School of Fire. I'm Madame Falmea", she introduced herself.

"My name is Duncan Glitchcity", I introduce myself in return.

"Ah yes, you're the new student", she says in realization. "Your spark feels familiar for some reason…"

"You can't mean he is similar to The Wizard!" An Elf-like Pyromancer questions her notions.

"You still jealous about him Dex?" She asks the Elf Pyromancer and turns to me. "Anyways, here I instruct students how to be Powerful Pyromancers! But Fire can be quite dangerous. Pyromancers must not be rash lest we destroy which we mean to achieve."

"But why are you telling him this even though he's a Necromancer?!" Dex asks her again.

"I was informed by the Headmaster he was taking a tour of all the schools", Dalia scolds Dex. "If you keep this up, I will have to send you to him. Do you really want that?"

"No Madame, sorry Madame", Dex says as he sits back down.

"After you're done with your tour, come back if you can learn spells that will cost you training points, Ravenwood Credits."

"Thank you for your time", I say as I complete another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO DALIA FALMEA**

But when I walked out the door, Malorn Ashthorn runs up to me as I walk toward a tree that has leaves that glowed like fire.

"How did you enter the Fire School without me seeing?" He asks me with a look of suspicion. "If you're gonna be another bad Necromancer like Morganthe, I suggest no funny buiseness, got that!"

"You don't understand, I…", I was trying to explain myself until I felt something well up inside me and said something I wouldn't say: a lie. "Are you sure you were just distracted by something else and just didn't see me walk back from behind the School of Fire and walked in that way?"

Ok, that didn't seem like a lie in the beginning, but I didn't walk from behind the building to the front of it and entered the building. I wish I could have told him the truth but I couldn't get the chance.

"You do have a good point", Malorn realizes, but got back to the subject at hand. "So what were you doing behind the School of Fire?"

I was about to explain everything until Malorn glowed Pixel Green and took it back.

"I don't need to know", Malorn laughs in shame. "I know that Necromancers tended to do bad things in Spiral history and me being a Necromancer being mean to my fellow Necromancers make me a bad role model. I didn't mean to give you a bad vibe from me right now. Just please don't desecrate the Necromancer name ok?"

"I promise", I answer as I shake him with my left hand.

 _You know he's on The Wizard's side, don't you?_ Gigabyte Vanvabyte's voice rings in my head. _Just make allies who side with your destiny…_

Before I could respond, the sensation faded. I noticed we were shaking hands for a long time and stopped. We said our byes as I headed for the next school, the School of Ice. As I entered it, I saw the Thaumaturger Students, like the Pyromancer Students of the School of Fire, were on break and were talking to each other so the teacher can introduce me to her school. So I walked up to the ice Professor, who is a pixie of some kind.

"Welcome dear! I am Lynda Greyrose, the Ice Magic Professor", Lynda Greyrose introduces herself. "Ice Magic, or Thaumatury, is not for the impatient or flighty…"

"Like he wouldn't know, aye", an Ice Wizard with a Canadian accent interrupts.

"We have gone over this many times: Don't interrupt the Professor", she tells the boy and turns to me. "Sorry about Justin. We will use him as an example of learning Ice Magic. He studies hard to learn Ice Magic, but he can sometimes be impatient. Even if he doesn't need my help, I always offer it if he doesn't say he does. After you're done with your tour, come back if you can learn spells that will cost you training points."

"Yes ma'am", I say as I complete another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO LYNDA GREYROSE**

Just before walked out the door, Justin taps me on the shoulder and turned to him.

"If you started with Malorn to Delia to here, and Dex was being jealous of a Necromancer touring that class too", Justin says to me. "You were not the only one judged by him. You will be judged by others like us. We did the same thing to The Wizard."

"What do you mean by 'us'?" I ask him and decided to whisper in his ear. "And why did you do it to The Wizard?"

"Sorry but you need to get going", he encourages me. "I don't want to distract you from your tour."

I nod as I leave the School of Ice and enter the School of Storm. Like the previous schools, except the School of Hack, the Diviners are on break so I could be introduced. I walk up to this anthropomorphize frog and he talks to me.

"Ah! A new student!" the frog exclaims while unintentionally bringing attention to me, which I thought I could not have at this point. "Welcome to the School of Storm, also known as Divination! For those who have chosen to master this Magic are called Diviners."

"Professor Halstrom Balestrom", another anthropomorphize animal that is a German shepherd says to the frog. "I think he can get the concept that Diviners learn Divination."

"Just making sure he understands, German Jr.", he says to the dog wizard and turns to me. "As he said, I am Professor Halstrom Balestrom, Master Inventor."

"And Professor of Storm Magic?" I ask him not sure if he really is the Professor. But when he answers it as he sounds he remembers after boasting he is The Professor of Storm Magic.

"Who can master the power of the Storm Lords and the Seas?" He continues. Just before I try to answer the question, the other students moan in what Balestrom is about to say. "Anyone who can harness their creativity."

"Even though for a Necromancer, you look smarter than them all", he finishes the introduction. "Check back when you are ready to release your smarts with the cost of training points."

"Understood", I say as I complete another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO HALSTROM BALESTROM**

I walk out of the School of Storm and walk to another anthropomorphize dog that looks more professional than German Jr.

"Jolly good to meet you new Student", he says in a British accent. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Arthur Wethersfield."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Duncan Glitchcity", I introduce myself as I hold out my left hand.

"Nice to meet you too", he puts his bag down and shakes my hand in return. "I am originally from Marleybone, which is a much different world than this."

"That's fascinating", I say. "How did you become fascinated in Magic?"

"Allow me to explain", Arthur answers. "As a lad, I was always interested in magic, but they don't practice magic in Marleybone. When I got older I spent many years studying here in Ravenwood."

"What School did you study in Ravenwood?" I asked.

"No one asked me that before", he answers in surprise. "I studied Storm Magic until Thirteen Years ago."

"What did you do after Storm Magic studying?" I asked.

"Ah yes, after that I've been in Krokotopia for ten years since I found out there were Temples related to Storm Magic", Arthur answers and continues. "For the next three years after, I came back to train students in a form of magic I discovered in Krokotopia called 'Soarcery' that deals with the Balance of all the other schools you see before you."

"Even Death", I ask.

"Yes, even Death Magic", he answers and finishes up. "It is far more advanced than the other schools and harder to master, but it's power is unbelievable! Come by later with some training points if you want to learn more. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" I say back as I feel I completed another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO ARTHUR WETHERSFIELF**

 _So he was a teacher after all_ , I realized. We let go hands and when I was just about to head to the School of Life, I realized he wasn't affected in a bad way about my left hand. So I go up to him and ask him why he wasn't freaking out about it.

"Oh don't worry Duncan, I have given up my racism a long time ago", Arthur answers and explains why. "I used to not be used to humans during my time here, but Halstom Balestrom helped me get over that feeling with humans. So when I moved to Krokotopia, I noticed there was racism of the native People there, the Manders, from my fellow Marleybonians. So I staged a rebellion against my own kind for a while. So when I shook a hand of a Krok for the first time, it felt weird at first but I got used to it after shaking the same hand over and over for those ten years. So when I saw your hand and shook it I felt comfortable with it. I hope to see you soon."

"I hope so too", I say back with a comfortable feeling with someone who can relate with me. So I continue to the School of Life.

When I entered, I got blinded by all the green condensed in one small room. So when I covered my eyes with my left hand, I heard a scream from my left.

"Not another freak!" Says a girl before I turn to her. "First an oddly beautiful daughter of a witch with Life power talent and now a freaky-handed Necromancer! Professor Moolinda Wu, why are you letting HIM tour HERE?!"

Everyone turns to me and then to an anthropomorphize cow wearing a green kimono holding a matching hand fan, which blinded me more. Everyone freaks out and starts bashing insults except the teacher.

"Don't be afraid Duncan Glitchcity", she says to me. "Thuergists are only bark…"

"Are you sure about that", the same girl says to her as she turns to me. "I have learned plenty of Storm Spells for it to definitely be my Secondary School. So I can definitely BITE."

"That's enough Rose!" Moolinda Wu scolds at the young girl. Then I was surprised how fast she regained her composure and turns to me. "Everyone will not mind you now as I introduce you to this school."

My eye sight began to adjust to the green as I walk up to Moolinda Wu.

"Welcome, my dear Duncan Glitchcity", she welcomes me as I finished walking to her. "I am, as you heard, Moolinda Wu, Professor of the School of Life. This school celebrates the living, ever-green power of creation and vitality. If you listen carefully to your surroundings, you'll hear Life Magic all around. Just a few notes can lift one's troubles, purify one's spirit, and restore life. If you want to learn more, come with some Training Points in hand."

"I understand", I say as I complete the goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO MOOLINDA WU**

I walk out the School of Life and headed for the last school on campus: The School of Myth lead by Cyrus Drake. But just before I went to the front of the School of Myth, the tree I just passed talked… I wish I was kidding if I told it was calling for me specifically. So I turn to the tree and engage in conversation with it.

"Yah, you Necromancer, come here", the tree says to me. "Do you mind if I talk to you."

"I don't mind", I say as I accept a new goal.

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO BRIAN THE MYTH TREE**

 _So that's what the tree is called_ , I realized, but I keep silent and walk up to the tree.

"Why are you interrupting my tour?", I ask the tree.

"Let me explain after introducing myself", the tree says. "I am Brian the Myth Tree. For all these students of Wizard City, especially Myth Wizards, I am their Messiah in their lessons. And who are you?"

"I am Duncan Glitchcity, starting Necromancer", I introduce myself in hidden frustration. "Nice to meet you. Now would you please explain?"

"You see, Cyrus has been through a lot", Brian explains. "His brother betrayed him, tried to end the entire Spiral, died after battling The Wizard and was brought back by force from his greatest Death Student, besides your instructor, Morganthe. I also heard that one of his greatest students, Sahomer Sunblade's son has gone missing. I recommend you be careful what you say to him."

"I understand", I say to Brian as I complete another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO BRIAN THE MYTH TREE**

I leave the tree alone and walk into the School of Myth. But when I walked in, it was far brighter than the School of Life, but this time I didn't cover my face so I don't attract attention. Once my eyes adjusted to the colors, I noticed the teacher was holding his wand like he's about to whip someone with it. So I walk up to him so we can be introduced.

"Well, well, well, another non-Conjurer Merle wants me to talk to", he says with a bold impression. "I really wish that Merle would just bring me Conjurer wannabe's instead. Oh, I am Cyrus Drake, and you are?"

"Duncan Glitchcity, starting Necromancer", I introduce myself.

But when I tried to shake hands with him, he glared at me that said otherwise and I put my left hand behind me. Then he shakes his head in frustration.

"I wish he would only let me talk to adept pupils during their tours…", he says in even more frustration. "First The Wizard comes around and ended up killing my brother before he destroyed the Spiral with the intent of bringing back Sylvia Drake, his deceased wife. Then a daughter of a Myth Witch who ended up being better at Life magic than Myth magic. Then the event to cause me great pain was my best Myth Student Erik Sunblade went missing weeks before any new student came to this school. And the only one who came after him was none other than you, Duncan Glitchcity!"

He turns around in shame for realizing that he yelled at a new student, I'm referring to me, touring around Ravenwood and ends up here and possibly gave the worst impression to the newest student in Ravenwood. He looked to have regained his composure and turned back to me. I was expecting him to kick me out, but he talked calmer than the first time I met him.

"I am terribly sorry about my outburst", Cyrus Drake apologizes. "But the stress that followed Sylvia Drake, my sister in law's death, has caused me and especially my brother Malestaire to gain great grief. My brother went to the extremes to be able to get his wife back while for me, as you can see, took out my anger on my students. But when I tried to get The Wizard expelled from Ravenwood about the problems that were happening on Cyclops Lane, Merle Ambrose and I had a conversation that ended with him threatening me being fired and replaced by a Baba Yaga… who was as I found out when Mellori joined Ravenwood was her mother! So if you could accept this possible quest as an apology, after you are done with your tour, could you find out the where-bouts of Erik Sunblade… just come back when you're done so we can get started on finding him… he was the only student who was determined to make me proud of any of my students! But this quest comes at a price, you can't learn any spells from here until you help me find out where he is… but don't tell Merle Ambrose I'm not letting you learn spells at the moment, he will start to gain suspicion. Since we got that taken care of, leave me alone so I can see what we can do."

"I hope to be a great help to you Professor Cyrus Drake", I say as I complete another goal.

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO CYRUS DRAKE**

 **NEW GOAL: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE**

Now I need to head to Merle Ambrose keeping my promise to not tell him about Cyrus Drake's situation. I go to him and we talk.

"I visited all the instructors you told me to visit", I tell him.

"Good!" he says."Now you know where your classes are held! I hope you like all the Ravenwood instructors. If you want, you can wander about to see what Wizard City has to offer. But I should mention though, there have been some strange events involving what happened in Unicorn Way… Nothing that you can't handle due to solving their current problems!"

"Oh, I almost forgot", Headmaster Ambrose rushes to his desk and returns holding a card that would fit my deck. "Here's a new spell as a reward for completing the tour! But don't forget to add it to your deck; you might need it later on."

 **QUEST COMPLETE: ENROLLMENT**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO MERLE AMBROSE**

 **REWARD: DEATH TRAP SPELL, 0 GOLD, 25 EXPERIENCE AURAS AND 1 TRAINING POINT**

I still have 80 Gold, but I have 63 Experience Auras with 277 Experience Auras to Level 5. I have surprisingly gained another Training Point upon completing the quest. Then I took a look at the new spell.

The card is called Death Trap: a Rank Zero Ward Death School Spell with 100% Accuracy that gives 30% extra damage, or steal health, to the next spell that deals Death Damage on the opponent. Like the Ward Symbol that classifies it, it is a shield but with spikes around the edge of the shield. The face of the shield is of a Death Symbol hovering over a pre-triggered bear-trap symbol.

Then I suddenly hear a voice coming from the observatory. But I was surprised it wasn't Gamma:

 _Hey kid, listen_ _up_ , the ominous voice says. _If you don't want to draw unwanted attention to you, come in the observatory. I have Gamma taken care of._

Then I hurry into the observatory to see what this person has done to him. But when I entered, I was to what I saw: a figure that looks like Gigabyte Vanvabyte but with a mask that he has on is of grey with a head-like shape covered with shapes that look like shades and topped off with a fedora, take note that they are all the same color of the mask, I could tell what they are shaped due to shading in the room. Like Gigabyte Vanvabyte's mask, it is topped with the figure's hood.

"So you're Grey Greyhat", I realized.

"You're right to my surprise", he says. "I am Grey Greyhat. The one who told Lady Oriel what she told you…"

"Why did yooou bind me?!" Gamma asks just before I realized the state he's in.

"Like I told ya before you dumb bird!" He yells at Gamma. "I'm making sure Merle doesn't interfere with our quest."

"What is this quest you're talking about Hacker!" I yell at him just as he turns away from Gamma.

"In due time boy, all in due time", he answers. "But for now, you need to see Gigabyte Vanvabyte, so he can introduce to you the way of Hacking to you."

"And if I don't?" I ask.

"Yah, he shouldn…" Gamma started to say before Grey Greyhat holds out his hand toward Gamma's bindings and make them tighter. "I get it, I get it! Duncan, do as he says, please!"

"Gamma!" I call to him just before Grey Greyhat puts his hand down, which in turn made the binds at normal tightness.

"Sorry, but I had no choice", Grey Greyhat apologizes sarcastically as he leans on Gamma's pedestal, which surprisingly doesn't fall over from his weight. "If you didn't do the quest, I wouldn't get rewarded; think of me as a bounty hunter of the Spiral. Just go to Gigabyte Vanvabyte already and see what he wants."

"As long as Gamma is safe, I will do it", I say as I accept the quest.

 **NEW QUEST: HACKER'S JOURNEY**

 **GOAL: TALK TO GIGABYTE VANVABYTE**

So I walk out the observatory through the back door to Ravenwood. But I do remember Malorn Ashthorn would ask why I went behind the School of Fire if I do it in front of him. So I decided to go behind the School of Storm and travel to the back of the School of Fire that way.

When I entered the portal to the School of Hack from behind the School of Fire, I saw no other people but me and Gigabyte Vanvabyte in the School of Hack. He is right now sitting at his desk with his hands folded and head facing towards my direction, which is also in the direction from whence I came.

"Don't be shy Duncan", he says as he noticed me. "We need to talk."

So I walk up and we begin the conversation:

"So what is this Hacker's Journey Grey Greyhat mentioned", I asked my teacher.

"The Hacker's Journey is something all Hacker's go through", Gigabyte Vanvabyte explains. "Every journey is unique to every Hacker, but they all end at the same point: Becoming a Hacker Variant!"

"Why a Hacker Variant?" I ask as I thought of another question. "What are Hacker Variants anyways?"

"Good thing you asked that", he says and explains. "But let me tell you about the 'Original Hacker': Think of him as being in similar power of Grandfather Spider, Grandmother Raven, Bartleby and the three Titans who bore the elemental Magic: Dragons via Fire, Tritons via Storm and Frost Giants via Ice. He is a primal entity who called to wizards who were shunned by principles of wizardry institutions. The 'Original Hacker' created an Avatar of himself to be able to teach his ways to the misfits of their schools, only seven of them became masters of their Hacker Variant: PyroHackers, CryoHackers, AstraHackers, OlaHackers, ZoiHackers, ThryloHackers and NecroHackers. Due to you being a Necromancer, you will end up as a NecroHacker at the end of your Hacker's Journey."

"So how do Hackers become Hackers now a days?" I ask.

"Some are found like in the past or are born into it", he explains. "You, on the other hand, are a different case, you have your left hand shaped like ours but looks different. Now I can't wait to see what your Hacker's Journey will look like. So let's get started!"

"But in order for that to happen", he realizes as he opens his hand to reveals green glowing pixels and blows them to my direction. "You need to be stronger, financially, healthily and a little something extra: A new spell to introduce you to Hacking."

 **QUEST COMPLETE: HACKER'S JOURNEY**

 **GOAL COMPLETE: TALK TO GIGABYTE VANVABYTE**

 **REWARD: 100 GOLD, 500 EXPERIENCE AURAS AND GLITCH SPELL**

I was surprised with the rewards: Now with 180 Gold, now Level 5 with 223 Experiences Auras under my belt and with 272 Experience Auras to Level 6. Now with 548 Base Health and 24 Base Mana. I look at the new spell from Gigabyte Vanvabyte:

Glitch is a Rank One Charm Hack School Spell with 100% Accuracy that makes the next spell the enemy casts randomly affect anyone in battle.

" _Cough_ ", he says to get my attention. "Sorry to say but you can't use that spell in battle just yet."

"Why can't I?" I ask him.

"You're not strong enough yet", he explains. "But you will get stronger, I can see it now, you reaching a certain level and I will call for you so you can continue your Hacker's Journey. By then you will be able to properly use Glitch."

"Thank you", I say just before the door opens with Hackers coming into the room. Then one of them noticed me and comes up to me.

"Sorry for being harsh about your hand when you first came", he says as I realized who he was. "I guess I gave off a bad impression."

"I would like to know you better than what you were when we first met Hark", I tell him.

"Allow me to fully introduce myself", Hark begins. "I am Hark Ankhgold, Novice OlaHacker."

"So what were you originally?" I asked.

"Might not be a good time right now", he says as I noticed a makes with a mask with a black Ankh face lens and gold mask base on Hark's face. "I got class to get to; maybe I can see how your Hacker's Journey turns out and tell you then."

"Hope to know more about ya then", I say as we walk away from each other and I walk out the door.

"Yo", I hear from my pocket as I walk out of the portal, I pull out what was saying it: the badge Malorn Ashthorn gave me. "Look like you've grown lots since the last I saw ya, come and see me to learn a new spell."

Now I'm thinking I should backtrack from here to the entrance of Ravenwood, travel down the sidewalk to Malorn Ashthorn, get my spell and see how Gamma is doing. So I walk back to the entrance of Ravenwood from behind the Schools of Elements buildings, walk down the sidewalk to Malorn Ashthorn to see what he wants.

"Hey, Malorn Ashthorn", I say. "Is there something you need?"

"Actually, it's something you need from me", Malorn Ashthron says to me. "You are at a Level where you could use a new spell."

He goes into his pocket for a deck case that is labeled "Level 5 Spells for Necromancers" and pulls out a card from the top of the deck and shows it to me.

"This is called Ghoul", Malorn tells me the spell's name, goes on to explain what it is and its effect on. "A Rank Two Steal Health Death School Spell with 85% Accuracy that takes from your opponent 160 health at least and gives you half as a healing factor. And don't forget I haven't noticed you have Death Trap from being enrolled. Death Trap when triggered by this spell being cast will increase the number of Steal Health Ghoul will do and, what you would expect, give you even more health than it would by itself. Just some advice Malestaire gave me once when I was being picked on by the Pyromancers next door. Even though he was harsh with his teachings, we understood him nonetheless… Necromancers have to endure every harshness and be harsh in return, since everyone else doesn't think Necromancy isn't a fare trade in Wizardry..."

"But don't you think…", I started to say but noticed he gave me a sharp look when I tried to say that. "Thank you for teaching me all that, I will take it into consideration."

So I head for the far side of the Tower of Storm, to the point of view of Malorn Ashthorn of course. I sort out my deck to be able to add my new Ghoul card to it. So then I tried to add to the first spell I ever got from Gigabyte Vanvabyte, Crash Bug, to my Deck. But then I heard something ring in my head when I tried to put the card in my deck:

 _Only Hackers and or Hacker Variants can have this Spell in their Deck_ , the voice explained and never said a thing again.

Then I think of asking Gigabyte Vanvabyte about this. But when I returned to where the portal would be, it wasn't there. Then I thought about asking him when I could for now and walked my way from behind the three Schools of Elements and out of Ravenwood, thinking about Gamma's health.

So when I get back to the observatory through the back door, I feel like I came through the double doors of Merle's Office leading to the observatory. Then I see Gamma looking at me.

"Loooks like yooou had a long day Duncan", Gamma says, and I nod in agreement. "Then you should get some rest so Merle can have you explore Wizard City tomorrow."

 _Duncan_ , I hear what sounds like Grey Greyhat. _I made sure that Gamma doesn't remember his pain, that Merle thought you came through the front door, and you telling him, "I think I need some rest, enrollment drained me." He responded, "That's best for you because you will be exploring tomorrow!" So get some rest, 'kay?_

And before I could respond, I lost his presence. I thought it was weird that Gamma doesn't remember the pain, even when I took a look at Gamma's body, I could still see where the bindings were.

"Do you know where you got those marks from?" I ask Gamma while pointing at those marks, even though I know where they came from.

"Huh, not sure", he says as he looks down at his body. "I will go see Moolinda Wu to find out how I got these markings. But for now you need to get to bed."

I could not do anything else with Gamma and go right to bed. I am curious what would happen tomorrow.


End file.
